Leather press



E. F. HULBERT LEATHER PRESS Z7 BY ATTORNEY.

April 14, 192.5.

v E. F. HULBERT LEATHER PRESS Filed s'pt. 24

, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 w/A/ FT Hl/L BERT ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT ori-flee,

EDWIN E. HULBERT, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO PFISTER & VOGEL LEATHER COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, THSCIOBVTSLT, A CORPORATION OF WISCOII'SIN.v

LEATHER- Panes.

Application filed September 24, 1921. Serial N'o. 503,055.`

To all tti/10m t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWIN F. HULBnn'r, a citizen ot the United States, residing;V in the city ot Milwaukee, county ot Milwaukee. and State ot Wisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Leather' Presses, ot' which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to leather presses. Heretot'ore the pressing of leather into sheet 'torni has been accomplished by pressing* the hide between a plain surface and the pressing roller, a method which is not satisi "actoi' \v because the inherent inequality in thickness or unevenness of the hide prevents the application of uniform pressure to all parts of the hide. lVhile I am aware that the ot a water or inflated bag has been proposed for pressing` materials into different shapes, the usual apparatus for accomplishing this result cannot be successfully` used. for pressing hides, because of the liability ot puncturing' the bag' between the Joints ot the press under' the high pressure necessary for this'purpose. The present invention designed to provide an apparatus -for compressing the hide uniformly with an elastic bag` and provide suitable means ttor preventine'4 rupturing' of the bag' under the high pressure employed. A

It is also importa-nt, in order that a press embodying the invention may be efectually used, that positive Aand rapidly operated locking' means and .press-opening means be' employed, otherwise the loss ot time incident to closing' and openingr the press makes its use costly. rlhe present invention is therefore designed to provide a simple and eitective form of locking; means for the press members. as well as suitable means toi-'scparating the press members froml each other on the introduction or removal ot the hide from the press. v

The invention further consists in the several 'features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by clain'is at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Fig'. 1 is a plan view oit a press embodying' the invention; Fig'. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 ot Fig. 1: F 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig'. l: Fig. et is an enlarged sectional view of' parts shown in Fig'. 1 with the press members open; Fin'. 5 is a view `sure tuid to the bag',

similar to' Fig. l,- with the press members closed, and Fig. Gais a detailview ofthe lock plate guide. v v

ln the drawings the numeral -designates a press member here shown as having a fiat surt'ace T and provided with a marginal metal :tramev 8 to form a cavity 9 in whichanelastic bag` l0 ,and the hide 11 are disposed. This Apressinember is mounted one suitable supporting frame 12. kA movable press member 13 Lis provided with a -lat snrt'ace and cooperates with the first named coy press member to form an enclosed cav-ity within which the hide and bag* are received. the hide Hengagingtheflat: surface of the press` member 13.V In order to separate the press members the pressmember` 13 .is secured b v rods 1st to a head lcarried by the rod 16 of a pistonl 17 workingin a cylinder 18, fluid undery pressure being' intro-- duced into the cylinder below the (piston, for elevating' the movable press member, through -a pipe 19 adapted to be connected to a suitable sourceot' supply. The cylinder 16 is mounted von a frame 2O carried byrods 2l connected to the main frame of the machine.

The water bag 10. has itsillingltube22 passed through a centrally disposedopening 23 in the llower press member 6 and'securely clamped to a pipe coupling` 24 by compressing" the' innerend of' the tube between' a ,curved annnlarrib 25 at the end of the opening 23 and the coupling 211. vThe coupling' 24- is ing` the bagl with fluid. under pressure. .-1

To firmly clamp andlock the press menibers G and 13 together when the pressure is suitably connected to a pipe 26 snp'pl'yl put upon the hide by the admission of 'presf shaped lugs sliding' intransversely extend-` inu' Ia'uides inthe trame 22, as shown in detail in Fig/6.

all sides ot the machine are adapte-d 'to be movedsimultaneously 'and' for this purpose each member is' pi'votally connected 'to theI upper end ot'A alever 33 pivot'ally mounted l provide a 'plurality ot locking means. as' clamping' members 27.

The clamping members on.'

.intermediate its end upon a pin 34 carried by the frame, and havingv its lo'ivei end pivot-allyv connected to one end of a link 35, the other end` oit said link being` connected vtomabell. crank lever 36 pivotally supported upon apin 37 mounted in the frame of the machine. One arm of the bell crank lever providedgwith a segmental gear face meshing with a rack 39, which rack is in the ,torin of a cylindrical rack so that all bell cranks inay'engage therewith, as (shown iii-*F 'and 2. The rack 39 is 'connected v Y to the! rod 40 oi a piston 41 'Working in a cylinder'42 which has liiuid pressure supply pi]`) e's 43 and 44 communicating "With itsends. ."In orderto control the, supply of fluid pressure tothe rpipes '19, 26, 43 `and 44, Vall of these pipes leadtoiavalve casing lhaving ajrotaryl 'plug valve 46 disposed therein with "a 'central bore 47 communicating 'with the source 'of 'compressed il'uid 'supply 'Y fthroiigha pipe 43. Passages '49 and 50 'in the! valve 'are 'adaptedto establish .communication r=l`ietiveen the vbore 47 and. certain of VVthe pipes while'bypasses5 1and 52 'aretdef .signed to establish coiiiniu`iiic'ation lbetween certain of tlie'pipes 'and exhaust ports 53 land A54 in'tli'ecasing45. p Y

lVith this construction, 'when 'the parts "are inithe position "as shown Fig. 2, a'finove- 'ment of the valve '46 gina counter-clockwise direction 'first releases the `Vpressure in the bag by `establishing 'communication between v the v.pipe 26 Yand the exhaust ports "53 through 'the bypass 51,"then "establishes communica- 4tion' 'between the fpipe '43 fand lpo'rt '54 upward pressure "up'onf't-he` pist'o'n i41, then establishes communication' between the port 49 and'pipe 44 sto vconduct pressure 'fluid from the pipe 48 throughthe valve 46 to the spa'ee'fabovethe pistonY 41. Whichthrough the 'rack and lin-k mechanism:previously described l*causes a `release of the'cla'mps 27 from the press meinbersfand Ifinally the port 50`co`ii'ies into,registrationWiththe pipe 19 andifluid under pressure from the pipe 41 passes through the valve 46 and 'pipe 19 tothe cvlindei 18 and acts against'the piston 17raising'thepress member 13y to permit removal ot the hide' and the rpositioning Vof anotherhicle Within .theV press. It Will thus ,be seen'thatthe valve @provides 'first a release of pressure in thebag. then a moveinentot the clamps to oil position and vthen "a raising of the press member 13. Under these Vconditions when the valve is mov d -in a clockwise direction the press member 13 moves down into pressing posi-k tion by the establishment of communicationlifet-iveen vthe pipe 19 and the port 53 through the bypass 51, then the .pressure'upon the upperjface of the piston 41 is relievedy Vthrough establishing communication betiveen the space above tliispiston andthe port 54 bythe bypass 52 registering with said' port 54 and the pipe 44, then the port v50 comes into register With the pipe 43 introducing fluid under pressure to the space in the cylinder- 42 below piston 41, thereby causing an upward movement of the piston 41 which through the Arack and link mechanisni moves the clamps 27 into clainping'en -gageinent With the press members and iinally the port 49 registers with the pipe 26 and vfluid pressure 'from the pipe '48 passes through the valve 46 to pipe 26 and into the bag 10. It Will thus benoted'that When'the sion o'the bag into Athe vjoint formed betweenthe press members 6 and '13, particu-v lari)7 Y Wherev a high pressure, Ysuoli as 500 lbs.

iper'square inch `or overis used, as in the pressing 'of leather- To obvia-te this diiiiculty, "Ifpro-vide a lining orvpacking 55 of a `'vulcanizedfabric ofcanvas or rubber, such asf'isv used 1n-automobile tires,- which is put.` "underfpressure whenv the press members are clamped "together, as Vindicated 'in Figs. "4

and'f'of the drawings; Where Fig. 4 shows this lining'pi'ioi' tobringing the press Yinemlbers to theiri'inal position and Fig. AVfshows the-parts in;theirnalfposition. I This lining :preterablyprovided with 'a VV-grooved oi' concaved inner side 56` which comes into sure is put upon the bag.l

:It will vrbe understood that one or more very small bleed holes'maybe providedl in the vmember '13 Yto allow "entrapped air or moisture to-escape fromthe press. j

then the hideor piece of 'leather to-be 4:pressed is-.pl-aced upon the top of the bag and the lining in the position Within-the cavity, as shoivn. in 'Fig'. 4, andthe press members are brought together and fluid under" pressure is introduced into the bag,

the expanding b ag fills all the available space in'the cavity and auniformpressure is transmitted to all parts ofthe hide,` at the saine :time ythe liningorbag '55 efectually sealing the joint between the pressinem'- bers,-as shown in Fig.

packing will be forced into tliisjoint itthe pressr members' are not in perfect contact With each other, the iliacking for lining 56 being of a coinpressible:material so that there is no'liability of cutting the lbag '10.

I desire it to be understood that this 'inventioii is not to be limited to anyv specific ySU ico

5, and preventing-the f extrusion ot any part of the bag into'this joint, and by reason of the groove 56th@ form or arrangement of parts except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

lhat I claim as my invention is:

l. In a leather press, the combination of` a pair of separable press members cooperating to form a cavity, means for clamping said press members together, an elastic pressing bag disposed in said cavity to act upon the leather therein, and a compressible packing lining` the sides oit the cavity to prevent extrusion of the bag througl'i the joint between the press members When the bag is expanded by fluid pressure. Y

ln a leather press, the combination of a Hat surfaced member, a recessed member forming a cavity therewith, means for clamping said members together, an elast-ic pressing bag disposed in said cavity to act upon the leather placed therein, and a compressible fabric lining surroundingl the sides of the cavity and having recessed inner sides engageable with the bag and expanded thereby to prevent extrusion of the bag from the con fines of.' the cavity.

fl. In a leather press, the combination of a pair of separable members cooperating to term a cavity, one of said members engaging, the material to be pressed, an elastic pressingl bag in the cavity interposed between the material and the other member, and a compressible lining` for the cavity presenting a V-shaped inner side to the bag.

Lt. ln a leather press, the combination of a pair ot separable press members cooperating` to form a cavity, one of saidmembers engaging' the material to be pressed, an elastic bag in the cavity interposed between the material and the other member, and a lining of vulcanized canvas and rubber it'abric for the sides of the cavity and packing the joint between said members when the bag is subjected to fluid pressure.

ln a leather press, the combination of a pair of separable press members cooperating to forni a cavity, one of said members eng the material to be pressed, an elastic pressing bag in the cavity between the material and the other member, and a. compressible lining` for the joint between said members toprevent extrusion of the bag through the joint when the bag is expanded by fluid pressure, a plurality of locking mea adapted to lock the separable press members in the operative position, and means for sin'iultaneously operating said loci-:ing means.

3. lu a leather press, the combination of a pair of separable press members cooperating to form a. cavity, one of said members engaging the material to be pressed, an elastic pressing' bag in the cavity interposed between the material and the other member,

a lining for the cavity presenting a V-shaped elastic pressing bag in the cavity betvveen the material and the other member, means for lining the joint bet-Ween said members to prevent extrusion of the bag through the joint when the bag is expanded by fluid pressure, fluid pressure-operated means for separating the press members, meansfor locking the press members together, and fluid pressure-operated means for operating said locking means. Y

8. ln a leather press, the combination of a pair ot separable press members cooperating to form a cavity, one of said members engaging the material tobe pressed, an elastic pressing` bag in the cavity between the material and the other member, means for lining the joint between said members to prevent extrusion oit the bag through the joint when the bag is expanded by fluid pressure, fluid pressure-operated means for separating the press members, means for locking the press members together, fluid pressureoperated means for operating said locking means, and a. single control for both fluid pressure-operated means. i

E). n a leather press,the combination of a pair of separable press members cooperating to forni a cavity, one of Said members engaging the material to be pressed, an elastic pressing bag in the cavity between the material and the other member, means for lining the joint between said members to prevent extrusion of the bag through the joint when the bag is expanded by fluid pressure, a source oit' fluid pressure, fluid pressureoperating means for separating the press members, means for locking the press memi bers together, fluid pressure-operated means 'tor operating said locking means, and a valve for controlling the supply of' fluid pressure. to both of said fluid pressure-operated means and said bag.

EDY/VIN HULBERT. 

